The closing of four Catholic elementary schools in Chicago, Saints Bruno & Richard, Saint Jerome, Saint Stanislaus Kostka Academy, and Saint Francis Borgia looks at first glance like a familiar story: Declining enrollment, rising costs, and another set of urban parish schools unable to make the numbers work. But beneath the surface sits a more complicated policy question. If these schools deliver solid academic outcomes at substantially lower per-pupil cost than the public system, should policymakers care? And if so, what tools, such as tax-credit scholarships, vouchers, or federal donor credits are appropriate to keep such schools alive?
On January 16th the Chicago Tribune reported on the closing of those schools. There was only talk of the money-raising efforts of those schools falling short of the funds needed to survive. On January 27th the Chicago Tribune reported on the Big Beautiful Bill’s federal educational voucher program and whether Governor JB Pritzker would opt into it. Even though the reports were only 24 hours apart, there was no reporting on the cross-over of the two reports. Does the Tribune have any editors left?
This is not merely a parochial matter. It is a test case in how cities manage educational capacity, parental choice and taxpayer dollars.
Catholic urban schools have long punched above their financial weight. Their model is lean: Smaller administrations, lower teacher salaries and pensions than unionized public systems, parish and donor support, and tighter community expectations around behavior and attendance. Tuition at the four closing Chicago schools generally ran in the $6,000–$7,500 range, often discounted through aid. Even after accounting for parish subsidy and fundraising, credible estimates put their true operating cost around $9,000–$11,000 per student.